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ManageMentor Series
By Bill Ellet

The four courses I recently took from the Harvard ManageMentor series, available through McGraw-Hill Lifetime Learning, demonstrate how a single instructional design applied across a training series can effectively address most--but not all--learning needs.

The title and design of the series make its purpose clear: It's a performance support system that offers easily accessible advice and best practices for managers. It includes an impressive range of courses--about 30 modules address various facets of a manager's job.

Each course features six sections: Core Concepts, Steps (recommended procedures), Tips, Tools (planning and assessment forms), Test Yourself, and To Learn More. Because the series emphasizes unsupervised study and on-demand learning, these aren't lockstep modules. You can move throughout the course whenever you want.

The series' design incorporates convenient user features. You can print most of the text, and the forms in the Tools section are cross-referenced in logical places with icons. Clicking on the icon opens a window that displays the form; another click downloads it as an HTML file that's compatible with Microsoft Word.

The To Learn More section features an array of print resources, including online articles. The product mix is heavily skewed to Harvard publications, with the exception of the book category.

All of the quizzes in Test Yourself are multiple-choice questions. After each answer, you receive praise for correct answers and constructive feedback for incorect answers. The test summary includes links to relevant content for each question. The quality of the tests varies by course.

The system platform is easy to navigate. I experienced no major technical problems and was able to concentrate on content rather than the delivery vehicle.

Coaching

Harvard Business School Publishing doesn't have a reputation for covering HR-related topics well, but this series content is consistently strong. I found the Coaching course effectivel because it focuses solely on formal coaching and is clearly written. The recommended coaching process only has three steps and is structured through forms, making the process clear and concrete. The test questions provide little challenge, but they give users a chance to review whether they missed something important if they skipped around the course.

Managing Upward

Managers tend to make two mistakes when dealing with their bosses: failing to realize they need to manage the relationship and thinking that politics is the way to do it. The Managing Upward course outlines strategies for establishing a healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with a supervisor with admirable efficiency.

The test is helpful as a self-check of comprehension. You can retain knowledge of key processes by consulting the forms provided, but the key concepts don't have many concrete reference points.

Capitalizing on Change

Capitalizing on Change offers practical tips and explores the notion that managers should view change as a growth opportunity. It advises managers to cultivate their ability to identify employee emotions regarding workplace change. To emphasize this point, the course recommends that managers talk to employees about their feelings before discussing any possible actions.

However, the Test Yourself portion could be improved. I found the test to be too easy. Instead of recall questions, the quiz should test application of concepts.

Writing for Business

I understand why online content providers feel compelled to offer courses and modules on business writing. Book publishers pump out business writing books by the score, so why shouldn't online publishers? Because to learn to write better, you need to practice and receive feedback from an editor. The implication that you can become a better writer simply by reading a book or taking an online course is false.

On the other hand, Writing for Business delivers practical advice on reader-based writing and gives several useful tips on the writing process. For example, the course suggests that you start writing what you feel most comfortable with, which may not be the opening paragraph. However, the eight organizational schemes it recommends can easily confuse students. The multiple-choice test questions are pointless--an objective test shows nothing about good writing.

Recommendation

Harvard's ManageMentor series dispenses compact lessons on a broad range of management topics. The content is generally good, but coverage can be thin. The series' learning design effectively presents the information, but it works better for some topics (dealing with superiors) than it does for others (business writing).

Published:September 2001